Flushing system for starch tables



' May 2-2, 1923. 1,456,243

A. W. H. LENDERS FLUSHING SYSTEM STARCH TABLES Filed Dec. 24. 1917 3Sheets-Sheet l J iZZi' 1051? May 22, 1923. 1,456,243

A. W. H. LENDERS FLUSHING SYSTEM FOB STARCH TABLES Filed Dec. 24. 1917I5 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 22, 1923.

1,456,243 A. w. H. LENDERS FLUSHING SYSTEM FOR STARCH TABLES Filed Dec.24. 1917 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 E Z 65 K E m i WI o 67 14177785565; Iaim/@2274 Patented May 22, W23.

.AIDGLPH W. H. LENDERS, OF CEDAR RAFIDS, IOWA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEAESIGN- MEETS, T PENTGK & FORD, LTD., INCORZPOBATED, A COBPGRATIGN 0?!DELA- WARE.

FLUSHING SYS'I'ETM FOR STARGH TABLES.

Application filed December 24, 1917. Serial No. 208,636.

flowed for the purpose of eliminating gludifferent levels.

ten.

The primary object of the invention is to provide new and improvedmethod of removing the tabled starch from the tables by flushing.

A further object is to automatically control the flushing operation sothat flushing liquid in circulation will not become so heavy as to beineffective and so that the resultant liquor will if desired have adeterminable uniform density.

The invention consists in the new and improved arrangements,constructions and devices to be hereinafter described and claimed forcarrying out the above stated objects and such other incidental objectsas will be adverted to in the following description.

The invention is illustrated, in a preferred embodiment, in theaccompanying drawings, wherein I Fig. l is a fragmentary end elevationof a bank of starch tables showing the piping, valves and fittings andother apparatus constituting an apparatus suitable for practicing themethod of my invent1on.

Fig. 2 is a fra entary longitudinal section of the bank of tables asshown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of the circulation tank, automatic valveand pump, and their pipe connections forming part of the flushingsystem.

In the installation shown there are fourtables, or preferably, sets oftables, A;.B, C and D, arranged one above the other on four The tablesof each set are arranged alongside of one another and, preferably, thetables of each set in vertical alignment with those of the sets aboveand below the same;

is a flushing header arranged over the upper ends of the tables A. Theheader 60 is provided with down spouts 61. The flushed starch liquorfrom tables A pass through spouts 62 to the upper ends of tables B. Theflushed starch liquor from tables B passes through spouts 63 totables Qand the liquor flushedfrom tables C passes through spouts 64 to tablesD. The flushed starch liquor from tables 1) passes through pipes 65 intoa collecting pipe 66 which discharges into the circulation tank F. Fromtank F the liquor is pumped, by pump 67, through pipe 68 to header 60.69 is a pipe through which the starch liquor in the circulation tank isdischarged therefrom when it reaches a desired density. In the pipe 69is arranged an automatically operated valve 70 which is opened andclosed by any suitable mechanism in response to variations in density ofthe liquor in the circulation tank. The valve 70, as indicated in Fig.3, may be of the butterfly type, its shaft 71 having fixed thereto acounterweighted lever 72 to which. is attached a cord 73 running overpulleys 74, 74, and having'secured to its other end a float 7 5 arrangedwithin the cir-- culation tank F. When the starch in the tank Fbecomessufficiently dense float 75 will rise, causing the valve to move fromits I closed position, shown in the full lines in Fig. 3, to its openposition, shown in the dotted lines. The pipe 68 leads to one end of 8header 60. A fresh water supply pipe 76 leads to the other end of theheader, this pipe being provided with a valve 77. The header is providedwith shut-ofi' valves 78 arranged preferably between each table. By thisarrangement the flushing of the tables may be commenced by use of waterwhich will be used until enough starch liquor has collected in thecirculation tank to permit the pump 67 to be started and this starch 9liquor used as a flushing medium. 79 is a valve in pipe 68 above thepump 67.

After the starch has been deposited on the tables and the gluten drainedoff, the starch is removed from the tiers of tables, a. tier at a time,beginning with the left hand tier, as shown'in Fig. 1. The left handvalve 78, referring to the same figure, will be closed and valve 77 inthe water supply pipe 76 opened. The water will flow from pipe 76 intothe header 60 as far as the first valve 78. From header 60 it isdischarged through spouts 61 upon the upper end of table A. Water flowsin a continuous stream over the upper surface of the starch on table A,collecting, as it goes, a certain amount of the starch which is carriedwith it through spouts 62 to table B, over table B and through spouts 63to table C, over table C through spouts 64 to table D, and thencethrough branch pipes 65 into the collecting pipe 66 and then to thecirculation tank F. The starch on vthe tables contains a considerableamount of Water, usually about fifty per cent, and this flows oil fromthe tables as the starch is eroded. As soon as the circulation tank Fhas collected a certain amount of starch liquor the fresh Water valve 77may be closed and the flushing operation carried on with this starchliquor which at first will be relatively light. The starch liquor ispumped from tank F by pump 67 through ipe 68 to the header-60. All ofthe valve 8 will now be opened (that is, all provided that the starchhas not already been com-- pletely flushed from the left hand tier oftables valve 77 opened to the extent required) and the delivery of theflushing. liquid to the particular tables operated upon controlled bythe valves. 96 in the flushing spouts 61. As soon as one tier of tablesis flushed the valve 78 to the right of that table may be closed and thevalves 96 over the nex of the tables A be opened.

When the density of the starch in circulation tank F reaches the desiredpoint, the float 75 Will rise causing valve 70 to be opened, thuspermitting the discharge of a certain amount of the starch liquor fromthe circulatory system. The operation of the apparatus can be soadjusted as to discharge just enough of the starch liquor, at the rightdensity, to maintain a volume of liquid in the tank and in circulationat a density not too great for the flushing operation in progress: valve77 being adjusted so that the quantity of Water added substantiallyequals the quantity of heavy starch liquor withdrawn through pipe 69.

The starch liquor which is run of? through pipe 69 may be employed inthe manufacture of starch products of a character to require the starchin liquid form or the starch may be separated from the Water by anysuitable apparatus.

I claim:

1. Method of removing starch from settling tables which consists inmaintaining a quiet flow of a flushing liquid over the upper surface ofthe starch to gradually thin down the starch body until it has beenremoved.

2. Method of removing starch from settling tables which consists inrepeatedly circulating a flushing liquid over the upper surface of thestarch to graduallythin the starch down until it has been removed, andmaintaining the flushing liquid at a substantially constant densitythroughout the operation,

3. The method of claim 1 in Which the liquid is circulated repeatedlyover the body of .starch and is kept from exceeding a workable densityby removing portions of it from time to time and replacing the same witha lighter liquid.

ADOLPH W. H. LENDERS.

